Let Them Eat Cake!

There is much debate about these words that Marie Antoinette supposedly shouted "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!" If she actually did, perhaps she was not referring to "cake" as we know it.

Growing up, my Grandma Stafford made beautiful cakes for all of her children and grandchildren for many, many years. Everything she created was from scratch, including the gardens of flowers she used to embellish them. It is a shame that I did not appreciate them or indulge in them as cake was never really one of my things; unless of course, it was fruitcake or Galette des Rois, both topics for another time.

Recently, I hosted a small birthday soiree for one of my friends who is a cake fanatic. Off I went to Icing on the Cake in Los Gatos. I know that I mentioned cake has never been one of my things; but that does not mean that I don't know where to go to find the BEST. Upon their recommendation, I selected the fresh banana cake. When I picked it up, I selected an additional 8 cupcakes of all different sorts to try and share. Needless to say, the cakes were a hit and enjoyed by all, including me with bite size portions.

Again, another birthday to plan and yes, a call to Icing on the Cake. This time, since all attending the soiree were trying to be "good" and aware of caloric intake, I ordered the Angel Food cake with the lemon glaze. Did you know that Angel Food cake is typically lower in calories than other types of cake? In fact, there are approximately 72 calories per slice (1/12 of a 12" cake, of course glaze-less). With the addition of fresh blueberries and whip cream (fat free for me and creme fraiche for the others) nobody felt the loss of a more caloric cake with filling and frosting. The cake was delicious; I even ate a full slice.

"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!

Icing on the Cake's motto is "eat something sweet every day." It is possible to go there and enjoy something different for days and days and days. The choices and flavors of the products that the bakery offers are endless. They make a wide variety of cakes with fillings and frostings as well as pound, cheese, loaf and cupcakes. Don't let their name fool you; they also make cookies, brownies, bars, pies, breakfast treats, and more. I even noticed that raw cookie dough was available for purchase so that you can make your own fresh baked goods.

Cake is one of life's great pleasures; it is part of celebratory rituals, social events and for some an afternoon delight with a glass of champagne. That is what Marie-Jose and I did in Hong Kong. We had a decadent encounter at Sevva; champagne and Marie Antoinette's Crave, a famous, favorite from Mrs. B's Sweets cake counter at Sevva.